Hello! This morning I am very pleased to welcome you to JuliaPalooza for the first half of my stop on the Blog Tour for Death in Dulwich by Alice Castle, the first in the London Murder Mysteries series, which is available now (links below).

Please join me this afternoon when I’ll be looking at the next book in the series, The Girl in the Gallery, and see below for a chance to win a signed copy of both books!

About the book

Thirty-something single mum Beth Haldane is forced to become Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple when she stumbles over a murder victim on her first day at work.

To clear her name, Beth is plunged into a cozy mystery that’s a contemporary twist on Golden Age crime classics. But can she pull it off? She already has a bouncy young son, haughty cat, a fringe with a mind of its own and lots of bills to pay, as she struggles to keep up with the yummy mummies of SE21.

Join Beth in #1 of the London Murder Mystery series, as she discovers the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.

Death in Dulwich is an engrossing, well-written and fun cozy murder mystery.

“They’re going to take one look at you and realise you couldn’t stab the plastic film on a ready meal, let alone a fully-grown pervert”

I really enjoyed my first investigation with assistant archivist Beth Haldane. She is an engaging and sympathetic lead character; she has her head screwed on right and brilliantly satirises the ‘perfect mother’ image.

I particularly liked Alice Castle’s style of writing, which perfectly blends clear descriptions with a compelling plot and some very funny one-liners. I also learned several new words while reading the book which is always a bonus!

The story is well-plotted and paced, with plenty of red herrings and a logical investigation. There is a good cast of suspects, from the creepy to the downright bonkers, to keep you guessing. I also liked the supporting cast of Katie and Detective Inspector Harry York (Brad Pitt in World War Z, anyone?!)

There are some surprisingly dark revelations within the plot for what is a generally light-hearted book but that makes it more realistic.

Death in Dulwich is a great first book in the series and I am lucky enough to be able to dive into the second straight away. Join me later today to hear what I thought!

Thank you to Alice Castle and Crooked Cat Books for the copies of the book and to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot(s) on the Blog Tour!

About the author

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks. Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, will be published this summer, with Homicide in Herne Hill due to follow in early 2019. Alice is currently working on the fifth London Murder Mystery adventure. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York. Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her websiteand is on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Giveaway

WIN signed copies of Death in Dulwich and The Girl in the Gallery!! (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions – UK entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

About the Blog Tour

Please check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on the tour:

Thank you to Alice Castle, Crooked Cat Books and Rachel Gilbey for my spot on the tour.